The Assignment with Audie Cornish

If the poll numbers are to be believed, Donald Trump’s march to the GOP nomination will be hard to stop. And that has lots of political observers pondering who he would choose as a running mate. CNN contributor Alyssa Farah Griffin worked in Trump’s White House and she shares first-hand knowledge of the characters vying for vice presidency. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs are facing a backlash, mostly from conservative commentators. This backlash came into sharp relief after Claudine Gay resigned as president of Harvard University. Some of her critics claimed it as a victory against the “DEI regime.” Audie talks to Celeste Headlee, a journalist and the founder of Headway DEI, about how this discourse is affecting those trying to continue their DEI work in corporations and organizations across the country.  Celeste is the author of several books, including: Speaking of Race: Why Everybody Needs to Talk About Racism—and How to Do It.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

"Today, we’re here to answer the most important of questions. Is democracy still America’s sacred cause?” President Biden said these words on Friday while kicking off his re-election campaign near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The location was steeped in Revolutionary War history and continued Biden’s theme of speaking in locations that signify turning points for American democracy. Phil Mattingly was CNN’s Chief White House correspondent at the Biden White House before moving to the anchor’s desk at CNN This Morning. He and Audie talk about the many layers of President Biden’s re-election strategy.Leave us your feedback or assignments: (202) 854-8802 or email theassignment@cnn.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

"Gen Z is challenging how we think about work." Audie Cornish interviews DeAndre Brown, TikTok creator and founder of Gen XL Consulting, and Maia Ervin, Chief Impact Officer at JUV. They discuss Gen Z's impact on work culture, changing perspectives on work, and the need to challenge accepted norms.

As the political winds intensify, CNN Political Director David Chalian is here to answer the burning questions of this election year: why don’t Republican candidates take off the gloves and attack former president Trump? Can President Biden and his allies amplify good economic news? And what will the U.S. Supreme Court do when it takes up its central role in determining Donald Trump’s political future? Make sure to follow David’s podcast, the CNN Political Briefing. He releases a new episode every Friday.Call and leave us feedback and your Assignments: (202) 854-8802. We love hearing from you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we're bringing you an episode of All There Is with Anderson Cooper, a podcast about the people we lose, the people left behind, and how we can live on – with loss and with love.The Assignment team is taking a short holiday break. We'll be back with new episodes next week.-Katie Talman was grieving an unimaginable loss when she left a message for Anderson Cooper, one of more than a thousand voicemails he received from podcast listeners. Anderson called Katie back at her home in Texas and she agreed to share her story. When Katie was 23 weeks pregnant, her daughter Everly died. “Nothing could have prepared me to deliver a stillborn baby,” Katie says. The grief over her daughter’s death, the silence in the delivery room, the inability of some in her life to understand or even acknowledge the depth of her pain - Katie and Everly’s story is a moving testament to a family’s love and a mom’s courage in the face of the greatest loss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, we present an episode of David Axelrod's CNN podcast, The Axe Files. Lifelong Republican Bill Gates was working as a lawyer and serving on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in Arizona’s most populous county when the 2020 election upended his life. Maricopa County became a hub of the Stop the Steal movement, and Bill, who defended the safety and legitimacy of the election, became a top target. Bill joined David to talk about navigating vicious attacks from those within his own party, the toll it took on his mental health and that of his family, and his hopes for the future of the Republican Party. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How does ageism impact all of us? What is causing the chemotherapy drug shortage? These questions come from you, our listeners, who call in week after week with ideas for our next assignment. This week Audie speaks with CNN Health reporter Jacqueline Howard and Gerontologist Dr. Tracey Gendron about the future of ongoing pharmaceutical drug shortages and the impact ageism could have on the 2024 presidential election.  If you have an assignment you’d like us to look into, leave us a voicemail at 202-854-8802 and you might just hear your voice on an upcoming episode!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, we're sharing the latest episode of CNN Political Briefing with David Chalian: What will it take to win the youth vote in 2024? John Della Volpe, director of polling at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics, recently led a survey of voters between the ages of 18 and 29. He discovered that fewer of them are planning on voting this time than in the last election cycle. CNN Political Director David Chalian talks to him about other surprising finds, and how this year’s candidates might persuade young people.Harvard Youth Poll, Fall 2023 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Black women are three times more likely than white women to die of pregnancy-related causes. CNN anchor Abby Phillip wanted to know why maternal mortality rates for Black women remaining stubbornly high – and who are the people trying to change that. She joins Audie to talk about her newest report, where she goes to Los Angeles to meet mothers who are opting out of traditional hospital births, and the communities, midwives, doulas, and nurses working to make them feel heard and supported. “Homebirth Journey: Saving Black Moms” will premiere on The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper on Sunday, December 17 at 9 pm ET/PT.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices